Combination of Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Elastic-fusion Biopsy Has a High Sensitivity in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in Daily Practice.

BACKGROUND: The index lesion (IL) is the largest cancer focus, usually harbors the highest grade, and might drive the history of prostate cancer (PCA). Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) has a high negative predictive value in ruling out clinically significant (cs)PCA. We aimed evaluating the efficiency of mp-MRI and targeted biopsy in detecting csPCA and the concordance between the MRI index lesion (MRI-IL) and the presence of csPCA inside it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 158 men who underwent prostate biopsy after a positive pre-biopsy mp-MRI scan. All mp-MRI lesions were biopsied using a transrectal ultrasound elastic-fusion approach (2-4 targeted plus 10-12 random systematic biopsies). csPCA was defined as grading group ≥ 2 or > 3 cores with cancer or ≥ 50% of core involved by tumor. RESULTS: mp-MRI detected 158 ILs and 46 non-ILs. One hundred were Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) score 3, 84 score 4, and 20 score 5. csPCA was found in 63.9% of the MRI-ILs. Eighty percent of detected cancer using mp-MRI and targeted biopsy was clinically significant. Eighty-seven percent of the transitional zone lesions were clinically non-significant or negative for cancer. The probability of detecting csPCA increases with increasing size of MRI-IL, and every extra millimeter raises the odds of detecting csPCA of 12.2%. All PI-RADS v2 score lesions showed a strong association with csPCA. The risk of matching between MRI-IL and csPCA inside it increases by 36.2% as the total percentage of cancer in all cores increases. CONCLUSIONS: mp-MRI showed high sensitivity in detecting csPCA in the peripheral zone, with concordance between MRI-IL and csPCA.

A structured framework for optimizing high-intensity focused ultrasound ablative treatment in localized prostate cancer.

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment has recently been pursued to reduce radical treatment-related morbidity in low-to-intermediate-risk localized prostate cancer (PCa), especially in older men. The aim of this study was to develop a dedicated framework for HIFU therapy. All clinical data, such as risk categories, magnetic resonance with functional parametric imaging, and histopathology, are essential for driving proper HIFU treatment. All needed data can be added to the framework to localize areas that need to be treated. Once PCa areas have been featured, quantified, and located, planning can be adapted to drive accurate HIFU treatment. Our planning framework may be useful for all ablative therapies in order to standardize treatment for both clinical and scientific purposes.

The tight relationship between papillary thyroid cancer, autoimmunity and inflammation: clinical and molecular studies.

OBJECTIVE: The recent concept that oncogenes responsible for thyroid neoplastic transformation are able to elicit an inflammatory protumourigenic microenvironment raises interest in further studies on papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) associated with thyroid autoimmunity. PATIENTS: The clinical and molecular features, and the expression of inflammation-related genes, were investigated in a large series of PTCs with and without associated thyroiditis (groups A, n = 128 and B, n = 215). RESULTS: The two groups did not show significant differences in clinical and prognostic features, whereas they harboured a significantly different genetic background (P = 0.001), with RET/PTC1 being more represented in PTCs associated with autoimmunity, and BRAF(V600E) in patients with PTC alone. A RET/PTC rearrangement was also found in 41% of non-neoplastic thyroiditis tissues, contralateral to tumours harbouring either RET/PTC or BRAF mutations. The expression of genes encoding CCL20, CXCL8 and l-selectin was significantly higher in PTC specimens (either with RET/PTC, BRAF(V600E) or unknown genetic lesion) compared with normal thyroid samples. On the contrary, thyroiditis showed l-selectin expression levels even higher than PTCs, but CCL20 and CXCL8 levels comparable with normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The present data extend the knowledge about the tight relationships among oncogenes, thyroiditis and thyroid cancer. A different genetic background among PTCs with and without associated autoimmunity has been firstly demonstrated. The strong association between RET/PTC1 and thyroiditis points to a critical role of this oncoprotein in the modulation of the autoimmune response. Moreover, preliminary expression studies, indicating enhanced expression of inflammatory molecules in PTCs, suggest a proinflammatory, nonautoimmune relationship between thyroiditis and thyroid cancer.